Former British prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has received a court summons requiring him to testify at the High Court in London in a case concerning alleged financial fraud. This is a civil proceeding related to large money transfers, some of which went to the accounts of the former member of the royal family.
Sky News and Press Association reported this on 4 November, according to Sky News and Press Association.
Andrew is due to testify in mid-December 2026. He is involved in the case solely as a witness and is not accused of any wrongdoing.
According to British media reports, the former prince may appear in court in person or via video link. He also has the right to apply to have the summons set aside, so his participation in the hearing is not yet guaranteed.
A financial dispute over tens of millions of pounds
The proceedings relate to a claim by Turkish businesswoman Nebahat Isbilen against her former financial adviser Selman Turk.
Isbilen claims that Turk abused her trust and disposed of tens of millions of pounds sterling in his own interests. The businessman categorically denies the allegations of impropriety.
One of the episodes in the case was a transfer of £750,000 that went to Andrew in 2019.
According to the claimant, the adviser misled her regarding the purpose of these funds. She believed the money was intended to assist in obtaining a Turkish passport.
Turk disputes this version and claims that the transfer was made on the initiative of Isbilen herself. According to him, she hoped Andrew's connections would help her husband, who is imprisoned in Turkey.
The £750,000 received by the former prince was subsequently returned.
In addition, the court intends to examine the circumstances of another transfer of around £769,000 made in January 2020. Turk claims that the funds represented a loan to Andrew for the purchase of a chalet in Switzerland. Isbilen disputes this version.
Court allows Andrew to be called at the defendant's request
On 23 October, Mr Justice Adam Johnson allowed Turk's defence to call the former prince to give evidence.
As explained by the defendant's solicitors, Janes Solicitors, the court found Andrew's potential evidence relevant to the circumstances of the disputed payments.
The judge noted that for a fair consideration of the case, the defendant must have the opportunity to present evidence he considers essential to his defence.
However, the decision to call the witness does not mean the court has accepted the position of either party as credible.
The trial itself is expected to begin in November and last around 11 weeks.
A rare case for the British royal family
According to British lawyers, this could be the first time since 1870 that a member of the royal family has been served with a court summons requiring them to give evidence.
On that occasion, the future King Edward VII, who then held the title of Prince of Wales, was called as a witness in a divorce case.
For Andrew, the upcoming appearance may also be his first public examination since his BBC Newsnight interview in 2019.
In 2025, King Charles III stripped his younger brother of the title of prince amid scandals related to his relationship with American financier Jeffrey Epstein.
However, the current civil proceedings concern a separate financial dispute and are not connected with the investigations into Epstein.
